WASHINGTON, August 28, 2009 - A new poll of registered voters in Tennessee found that 70 percent opposed Waxman-Markey type climate change legislation, once they heard about analyses warning of potential job cuts and higher consumer fuel costs. Only 12 percent of Tennesseans supported it.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey bill, also known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act, earlier this summer. The Senate will soon consider climate change legislation.
"It's clear Tennesseans don't want this legislation. They're concerned about their jobs and projected increases in fuel costs," said Jack Gerard, President of the American Petroleum Institute. "There has to be a fairer, less burdensome way to address the climate issue. The Senate should start over."
Research shows Waxman-Markey type legislation could hurt families, businesses and the American economy. A Heritage Foundation study calculates that the cost of a gallon of gasoline in 2035 would increase 58 percent for consumers, driving the per gallon cost to around $4.00 based on today's prices.
A CRA International study, commissioned by API, projects that Tennessee alone stands to lose more than 80,000 jobs by 2030 if Waxman-Markey becomes law.
Methodology
The poll of registered voters was conducted online from August 6-17, 2009, by Harris Interactive for API among 600 registered voters in Tennessee (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. A full methodology is available upon request.